Choose one of the following transportation innovations: steamboats, the Erie Canal, the National Road, corduroy roads, or turnpikes. Explain how that innovation helped people or goods move across the country in a sentence or two.

1 answer

The Erie Canal significantly facilitated the movement of goods and people across the country by connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie, allowing for more efficient transport of agricultural products from the Midwest to East Coast markets, which reduced travel time and costs. This innovation not only spurred economic growth but also encouraged westward expansion by making remote regions more accessible.